Still Life
by katiegrace26
Summary: The story of the girl with fire and the boy who was up to no good. -"I don't understand. How-" "Can I hate you?" A humourless laugh spilled from Lily's lips. "It's really that hard to believe isn't-" she broke away, her fists clenched in frustration and eyes raised heavenward. "Potter, maybe if you looked away from your mirror for a little bit you'd figure it out."-
1. Chapter 1: Dirty Blood

**Disclaimer: The world and characters of this story don't belong to me, and were created by J.K Rowling**

**One: Dirty blood**

Mudblood.

The word echoed through Lily Evans's head as she wandered the corridors of Hogwarts. The walls were tall and cold winter light streamed through the arched windows. She turned a corner, lightly tracing the old, but strong, stone with her fingertips.

Mudblood.

It was bouncing, bouncing from side to side, worming its way inside all of her insecurities and awakening old doubts.

Her hair, red and radiating along her back in a braid, swung to and fro as she slapped her feet along the cold stone floor of the castle. Yesterday had not been a good day.

She had been asked out, gained a friend, lost a friend and been humiliated in front of the school. And now she was wandering around the castle, days before everyone would leave for Christmas break, with cold hands and a heavy heart.

Mudblood.

The fact that it was Sev- Snape, her best friend, no, former best friend, who let the filthy word slip from his lips so easily, drove the punch home. He knew her. She thought he cared about her. If he thought she was a worthless witch with dirty blood, maybe- no. Lily knew she was a good witch, easily as good as any pureblood, and-

"Lily Evans!" James Potter's voice, heavy and dripping with arrogance interrupted Lily's thoughts. He was the last thing she wanted to deal with after yesterday's incident. His tall, lean body walked quickly towards her, his legs not stretching out to their full length but moving quickly to make up for it. The way he only walked when he was chasing something- or someone.

It was his fault she no longer had a best friend. He was the one who started something yesterday. He hexed Severus, humiliated him, and drove him to ruin their friendship. There was no way around it. She hated James Potter, hated him. The way he ran his fingers so easily through his stupidly messy, silky black hair made her sick, the way he made sure everyone in the room knew he was there in the most heavy-handed way possible, the way he craved attention and expected the world to love him for no reason other than he existed. But most of all, the way he would bully and victimize students, just because he could.

She.

Hated.

Him.

Lily's face heated up, turning her cheeks almost as red as her hair. She couldn't stand to be around him at the moment, she couldn't stand seeing his lanky silhouette follow her and chase so diligently after her. So she walked more quickly along the corridor, her feet hurting every time she slapped them against the stone floor, harder with each step.

But his quick half-steps caught up to her, his warm hand, a little slippery from sweat, wrapped around her wrist, his fingertips dug gently into her arm, as if he was clumsily taking her pulse.

"Potter! Leave me alone!" She stared him in the face, her green eyes glaring into his with slight madness. James took a deep breath before speaking.

"Evans! I just came to say-"

"I know what you want to say and no, I do not want to go out with you!" Lily cut him off, her annoyance and anger coming out from between her lips.

"Actually I-"

But Lily's anger kept coming, snaking its way out of her mouth and into his ears like the snake she wasn't.

"Potter, I can't even look at you right now."

"I'm sorry lily!"

Lily turned away.

"Save it. I know you're not really." Her voice was harsh, her words slapping him in the face.

James's mouth opened in defense, but lily continued, running over him like an express train.

"If you were, you wouldn't be on your way to bully another fourth year!"

The light left James Potter's sickly hazel eyes as they dropped to the floor.

His guilty expression told lily everything.

"Just- ugh! I don't know why you think you can even talk to me. I hate you, okay, Potter?"

He looked back up at her desperately.

"I don't understand. How-"

"Can I hate you?" A humourless laugh spilled from Lily's lips.

"It's really that hard to believe isn't-" she broke away, her fingernails digging into her palms in frustration and her eyes raised heavenward.

"Potter, maybe if you looked away from your mirror for a moment, you'd figure it out. Now if you'd let go of my arm, I'd like to go to bed."

Ripping her wrist out from his grasp, Lily stalked away, her short and powerful figure oozing anger.

"Lily!" He called, his voice echoing through the corridor, losing the momentum he had thrown into the word.

She kept walking. Her legs moved faster and faster and she could hear his footsteps behind her even though her heartbeat filled her ears but she didn't care, she was just so _mad_.

He stopped her. Hot fingers wrapping around her wrist like a handcuff.

"Listen to me. _Listen_!" He yelled harshly, startling her.

Lily turned around and glared at him, her green eyes filled with anger that she she had injected into him like poison, working its way through his body, filling his veins, doing its best to stop his heart.

He cleared his throat. It sounded like bark brushing harshly against a sleeve.

"I didn't come to ask you out. And I didn't come to apologise for making a scene yesterday. I came to say sorry for ruining your friendship with that slimy git. He doesn't deserve you." His voice was as harsh as his cough. "So I'm sorry."

Lily stared skeptically into his face. His tawny eyes had lost their spark of mischief, and they were looking sadly back at her. His mouth was a straight line, like a grimace. Honesty dripped sadly out of every crevice in his face. Lily knew he wasn't lying. She breathed a gentle sigh, her anger flowing out of her.

"It's okay. I know it wasn't your fault. His words were his."

Potter just nodded. He turned away.

"Also, Remus wanted you to know that he swapped the rounds around and you're with mark tonight. That's all"

He walked away from her now. His figure swaggered slowly, carefully away, as if he was recovering from a stomach wound. He certainly felt like it.

"Thanks, Potter." Lily called after him, her voice shrill and piercing and not at all the way she wanted it to sound.

He just shrugged, his figure retreating along the corridor. Lily walked into the nearest classroom, cast a silencing charm on the door and let the scream she'd been holding in for so long rip from her throat.

It tasted like chalk in her mouth.


	2. Chapter 2: The Prank War

**Chapter 2: The Prank War**

The first breakfast after Christmas break was no ordinary breakfast.

It started out that way. The candles floated overhead and cast a gentle glow against the tables, but they were deemed unnecessary by the sunlight that streamed through the windows behind the head table.

The students of Hogwarts had a satisfied air about them. After spending time with their families or celebrating Christmas with their school friends, they were ready to get back to work and study hard so that- _please_.

Who are we trying to kid? The students of Hogwarts ate as if consumed by a hangover, not from drinking but from the feeling one gets after a night, or couple of weeks, of freedom and enjoyment, but with the knowledge that the party is over, and that they have to work, to go back to normal, and fall into the pattern of routine.

Lily, coat slid around her bunched up shoulders and leaning forward as if she could hide herself from the eyes of her fellow students, walked into the great hall with a heavy heart. She'd enjoyed spending the Christmas with her best friend, Marlene, at Hogwarts, but she'd had to respond to no less than four angry letters from her family.  
One from her father, who wanted her around.  
Two from her mother, who desperately wanted her to reconcile with her sister petunia so that they could be a most perfect family without division.  
And the last letter was from petunia, which just upset her. Her sister's attitude had not changed during the school year. Lily was still a freak in her eyes. But all in all, it had been a good break and she didn't want to go back to classes.

Breakfast started out ordinarily.

Lily and Marlene sat down to eat, normally, but they'd barely loaded up their plates with steaming bacon and eggs when a loud boom echoed through the dining hall as the food on their plates exploded into glitter and flew into the air, sparkling ethereally amongst the candles, and making the shape of the familiar words that marked all mischief.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs_

The students cheered, but there was more. The words evaporated, showering golden glitter upon everyone in the great hall. The glitter stuck there, giving students and teachers alike a shiny golden sheen. There was a great whooping and shouting throughout the hall as everyone laughed and stared at their now shiny gold tinged friends. At the head table, Dumbledore gave a small smile, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles, now laced with gold dust. Even McGonagall broke a smile, and the Messrs.' in question knew they were off the hook. Only Lily scowled, irritated by the interruption and hungry now that she had to reload her plate with food. Was a nice, peaceful breakfast too much to ask for on her first day back?

She exchanged a glance with Marlene, who was trying to hide a grin as Lily glared at her through eyelashes sprinkled with gold.  
Marlene burst out laughing.  
"Lighten up, Lils!" she shook her golden blonde hair and punched her gently in the arm.

"Somebody's got to teach those marauders a lesson." The red and gold Lily grumbled against her breakfast.

* * *

_5am Saturday, fifth year Gryffindor boys' dormitories._

One week, three whispered plans, forty galleons and two cups of coffee after the initial glitter incident in the great hall, Lily and Marlene snuck into the Marauders' room, carrying their purchases.

"And you're sure this isn't against any rules?" Marlene whispered, her breath raising the hairs on Lily's neck.

"Of course I'm sure! I'm a prefect! It's not against rules for girls to enter the boys' dormitories, and not against the rules for a prefect to confiscate a wand." Lily whispered rapidly; her heartbeat was racing in nervousness. Marlene just giggled.

"Calm down Lily, I was kidding. It's _me_ you're talking to, remember?"

Lily nodded in response. That didn't make her any less nervous.

"Remember, it's just a quick swap. I'll take Black and Lupin, you take Pettigrew and Potter." Marlene's voice was the quietest Lily had ever heard.

Lily gave a quick nod in reply and the two spread out to opposite sides of the room. Pettigrew's wand was easy to find, lying on his bedside table. Lily didn't even have to open the curtains around his bed to switch the wand she had in her hand for his.  
Potter's wand, on the other hand, was harder to find. She searched his desk, his drawers, and his bedside table but to no avail. There was only one option left, no matter how much she didn't like it. Lily cast a quiet opening charm on his curtains and found Potter fast asleep. He slept on his back, his wand clutched tightly in his hand, underneath his pillow. His hair fanned out on his pillow and there was a look of extreme peace on his face. A line of saliva dribbled along his cheek. She let out a silent groan and wrinkled her nose, not looking forward to touching something that Potter's dribbled on. Holding up his pillow with one hand, she pulled the wand out of his hand quickly, and he gave a stir. Lily held her breath and placed the other wand in his hand.  
All of a sudden, Potter gave a snort and a groan, reaching towards his curtains and his glasses on his bedside table.

Lily, heart pounding against her chest, ducked under his arm and rolled under his bed, letting out a quick _meow _to warn Marlene. She heard a quiet rustle and -was that a squeak? From across the room.

Lily kept her breathing quiet as Potter's feet appeared inches away from her face. She bit back a curse and tried not to breathe the foul air in the space she was sharing with old, dirty Quidditch gear.

_James Potter, you are disgusting._

James Potter whistled to a tune Lily couldn't pick out. Eventually, the feet plodded away towards the bathroom and another meow sounded. Lily rolled out from under the bed, nearly coughing from the air, and raced out, Marlene wildly sliding on the floor behind her, towards the common room.

The two took one look at each other, red and blonde hair a mess against their red faces, and burst out laughing.

"Merlin, the air beneath Potter's bed is foul." Lily croaked. "He's just… disgusting!"

"Just you wait, Lily Evans." Marlene panted. Green eyes met brown, and the two friends burst out laughing.

* * *

_9am Saturday, East Charms corridor_

"Gentlemen! Look what I've found!" Sirius Black's drawl echoed through the corridor as he and his three friends wandered leisurely along the corridor. Sunlight streamed through the window as the four marauders swaggered along the passage. It was empty, other than a few other students walking quickly past, a greasy haired boy leaning against the wall and two girls, a blonde and a ginger, conversing in hushed tones near a window.

"Snivellus! So good to see you." James Potter cried, turning to the dark haired boy.

"I dearly hope you've been thinking about your words and actions." Remus Lupin reprimanded, wagging his finger up and down.

"Just to make sure, let's teach you why you shouldn't call people mudbloods." Sirius Black growled.

"Expelliarmus"

"Levicorpus"

Potter screamed as a chicken burst from the end of his wand.

Black gasped when his wand grew flowers from the tip.

Lupin tried fixing them, fighting back laughter, when his wand transformed into a feather.

Pettigrew concentrated hard on a spell, only half certain his wand was safe, but stepped back in shock as his wand drifted away, turning to dust that spelled:

_Courtesy of L&amp;M_

"Oh no, they did _not." _James growled.

"Who's L&amp;M?" Remus wondered.

As one, all four boys' eyes turned from Snape, who was shamelessly laughing as he walked quickly away, to the two girls standing by the window, howling with laughter.

Lily

Marlene.

Potter turned to the other Marauders, a glint in his eyes.

"Gentlemen, this means _war_."

Three mischievous grins grew across the three faces in front of him.

* * *

_9pm Sunday, Gryffindor fifth year girls' dormitories_

Two heads, a red and a blonde, bobbed gently up the stairs together towards their dormitory, chattering quietly as they walked towards their room.

Lily and Marlene were discussing the laughing thanks they'd gotten from a group of Slytherins that they assumed were Snape's friends.  
"It was obviously sarcastic. Did you see the look on Avery's face? It wasn't exactly friendly!" Lily's voice was a high-pitched squeal.

"Chill, Lils. They're not that bad really. They just don't like…" Marlene trailed off as she glanced toward Lily's emerald glare.

"Muggle-borns." Lily finished. The two girls shared an irritated sigh.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Marlene acknowledged, rolling her eyes.

"But honestly, Lily, it doesn't matter. It's not like you have to talk to them again, ever."

Lily nodded thoughtfully. The steel gaze of Mulciber and the haughty sneer upon Avery's mouth would forever be burned into her memory. The only people she hated more than bullies were blood-supremacists. Bullies picked on people because they could, or because they themselves had problems. Blood supremacists thought that some people were better than others because of something beyond their control. People like that made her want to tear her hair out. Instead, she had learned to concentrate her energy on proving those bigots wrong.

Marlene was right, though. Lily might have classes with the Slytherins, but she didn't have to talk to them ever again. Besides, their little prank was over now.

Or so they thought.

"Ouch!" Lily cried as she bumped her head on her bed. Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed that there was something very different about their dorm.  
The floor was bare of everything. Furniture, books, and clothes: everything. Instead, the whole dorm had flipped itself upside down, so that everything was on the roof. Lily and Marlene, tired after a long day, groaned as the golden brown locks and tanned skin of Mary MacDonald and the silky black braid and dark face of Joan Thomas peeped down from their beds, racked by peals of laughter.

"I'm sorry Lils, Marlene, but the looks on your faces-" Mary howled with laughter, lighting up her silvery blue eyes.

"James Potter paid us to flip everything." Joan giggled, a coy look in her eye, while the girls flipped everything right way up with a wave of their wands.

"In galleons or in snogs?" Marlene drawled. Joan looked away and hid a grin.

Marlene rolled her eyes.  
Lily raised her eyebrows.  
"That git." She growled.

"Lily!" Joan whined. "I think he actually meant it! It was so… Passionate!" She sighed.

Lily groaned, exchanging a look with Marlene.

"Marlene, I think it's time we stepped it up a notch."

The glint in Marlene's eyes could have stopped Lord Voldemort himself in his tracks.

* * *

_9am Monday, charms class_

Professor Flitwick's shrill voice pierced through the classroom from his pile of books. Wax dripped slowly off the candles that were lit around the classroom as he called the roll. Lily breathed in the smell of old books as she twirled her soft quill around her fingers.

"Evans, Lily?"

"Present"

Lily tuned out after hearing her name. She hadn't seen the marauders all day. Ordinarily that would be a cause for joy but today wasn't an ordinary day. Oh, no. Lily and Marlene had finally gotten their revenge, and it was going to be sweet.

Suddenly, there was a stirring outside the classroom. The crack of feet against the castle's stone floor echoed through the corridor and into the classroom. With it came indistinguishable voices and an odd clanging, scraping sound.

Lily hid her smile behind her quill. She knew what was coming.

Four faces, flushed and a little wild, burst into the classroom, panting out an apology for being late. Flitwick just raised his eyebrows at the marauders and opened his mouth to continue taking attendance.

"Oh honey, don't be shy!" A deep, womanly voice, sweet as honey and rich as dark chocolate, swept through the room. Flitwick's squeaked and shut his wide-open mouth. The marauders went white and rushed towards the door, trying to pull it shut. But the full-length mirror forced its way in, reflecting thirty students' astonished, open-mouthed faces. The glass was clear as the freshest of water, thanks to the self-cleaning charm placed on it, and it was edged in a heavy gold trim. In the bottom right hand corner of the glass was written in red lipstick:

L&amp;M

The mirror scraped its way along the ground until it was facing Marlene.

"Darling, let me tell you, you look gorgeous today! Love the top, and that skirt is VERY you." Marlene put a hand on her chest and gave a warm smile.

"Thank you dear." She replied, grinning.

The mirror turned to James potter.

"Now here is someone who could use my help! Look at that HAIR! And _those_ shoes? With _that _tie? Forget it, sugarplum!" As the voice rang out through the room, James's face grew to resemble a tomato. A big one. He liked his red and gold trainers, even if they were a few years old. The charms class laughed, while Lily grinned to herself. Now THIS was going to be an interesting day.

James, on the other hand, fumed. They'd have to step it up a notch. His mind was already whirring with possibilities.

* * *

_3pm Tuesday, Hogwarts grounds_

Lily breathed a sigh of relief as she collected her things after a brutal class of care of magical creatures. Professor Kettleburn had brought in a baby dragon, which had singed her skirt and burnt half of her charms book to ashes. As she walked towards the castle, her shoes squelching in a layer of remaining sludge, she enjoyed the crisp air and quiet of the grounds.

All of a sudden, she heard a noise; building like a wave that one can feel coming. Then they appeared. Running down the hill on webbed feet were about thirty brightly coloured and oddly familiarly patterned ducks. Marlene, standing a few metres behind Lily, shrieked.

"Lily!" She cried, motioning to the ducks.

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yes Marlene, I noticed."

"No, lily, _look_ at them."

Lily glanced back at the ducks. A red one with an odd, lacy pattern adorning its back rushed past lily, a white duck with blue stripes close behind it.

Where had she seen that pattern before?

Realisation dawned on her as she saw a red duck with gold edges and a Gryffindor lion printed on its back.

She'd bought that pair of knickers the week before. She gasped.

"Marlene! Get to our dorms quickly and make sure our... drawers are still in our drawers!" Lily yelled, her blood rushing hotly through her veins. She could feel her face go red.

Marlene nodded, and charged through the sea of brightly coloured ducks.

"Professor! We need a cage!" Lily screamed at a curious Professor Kettleburn, running towards him.

He fumbled around with his one hand for a moment, before enlarging one of his smaller cages. Lily rounded up the ducks inside the cage. She had just picked up what she thought was the last one when five white ducks with black words scrawled on top came running towards her. They read:

_Messrs._

_Moony_

_Wormtail_

_Padfoot_

_Prongs_

Lily let out a frustrated scream.

At that moment, Marlene came back, white faced.

"Our underwear is gone! They've transfigured our panties! They actually _transfigured_ them!"

Lily looked back at the cage of ducks, then towards Marlene's face.

They stared at each other, white and red faced, for a minute before bursting out in laughter. As they did, they noticed another laugh, the laugh of four boys coming from the edges of the forest.

But Lily had an idea, which she whispered to Marlene. Those four boys had no idea what was coming for them.

* * *

_7am Monday, breakfast, Great hall_

Lily and Marlene exchanged a look over their plates of hot porridge. Lily's fingers clutched her wand under the table. They'd practiced silent charms for hours and it was time to put their magic to the test. Their moment arrived as the four marauders rocked up to the table, swagger in their step.

However, their swagger was taken away as all four of them fell flat on their faces, arms and legs flailing, as if they had tripped on an invisible string. As the students in the great hall craned their necks to see the mess of limbs, Lily waved her wand surreptitiously under the table. Everyone gasped, as the books that surrounded the boys began to float, slowly, gently, upwards, their pages flapping like wings.

Next was Marlene's part. With a smirk and a silent wave of her wand, the great hall collapsed into a sea of noise. It was not the students that were talking, however, but the books. The voices bounced around each other, spinning and dancing together as each book read aloud all that was written inside: what was printed and what had been added by the marauders in their handwriting. It was hard to follow a single book, as all were flying quickly in untraceable patterns. Lily however heard this.

"A single man with a large fortune"

"**Lily Potter**"

"**My love**"

"How could I ever love such a man?"

"**Damn Potter you know you have no chance**"

"He is unlikely to ever take a wife"

"**Like you could get a bird as pretty as her padfoot**"

"She wasn't an easy girl to meet, but the best there was."

"**Joan? Easy**."

"Only a man such as I could want a man such as you"

As the students caught onto what was happening, laughter grew increasingly in the hall. It was a wave of sound that grew so quickly, from tiny to mountainous proportions.

James Potter went red, an angry blush working its way up his cheekbones into the roots of his hair. He suddenly leapt up off the floor into action, jumping, reaching for the books that he didn't remember ever putting in his bags but had just flown out of them. Sirius followed his lead. Remus, on the other hand, had a thoughtful look on his face. He whispered something to Peter, and gestured to their two friends running around after books like headless chickens. Eventually, all four of them gathered together, and Potter waved his wand quickly; Remus's swishing behind him. The books rearranged themselves to say: _"You win"_.

Lily and Marlene let out a large whoop and jump upon the table, dancing together, their feet barely missing the food they had already eaten as the great hall gave them a standing ovation. The teachers at the head table looked at the ruckus in front of them. Marlene flashed them an innocent grin. Dumbledore stood up; staring at them all with twinkling blue eyes, and joined in the clapping.

Lily had never felt more part of something in her life.

**Author's note: Yes I plan on continuing this story, and aim to finish, but we'll see :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Truce

**Chapter 3: Truce**

Lily's hands clutched her books tightly as she walked along the corridor, heading determinedly towards the library to study. Her legs moved quickly and her feet tapped lightly against the stone in their own beat.

Lily had a habit of walking quickly when her mind was occupied. In that particular moment, her thoughts were engaged with one Oliver Green, a Ravenclaw sixth year with adorable freckles and eyes like the ocean, who had congratulated her on her victory. Lily would be interested, but she preferred the forest to the sea and Oliver's eyes were always turned toward Marlene's blonde head.

Oliver wasn't the first person who had congratulated Lily, though. In fact, she was becoming quite the popular redhead.

She recalled the slippery cover of her charms book as it fell from her grasp when Alice Prewett, a seventh year Gryffindor, invited her to an all-house party in the room of requirement. Marlene had convinced her to go, and amongst all the loud muggle and magical music, and the Firewhisky that Lily didn't touch, she actually had fun. She and Marlene were now regulars of the inter-house party crowd.

The 'Great prank war', as some students had dubbed it, had surprisingly also helped Lily get closer to her roommates, Joan and Mary. Their disgusted faces as she had opened a bottle of muggle nail polish would forever be burned into Lily's mind, and after a lesson in hair care spells, Lily promised never to tie her red locks back again.

The only person not impressed by Lily and Marlene's antics seemed to be Lily's former friend, greasy haired, hooked nosed Snape.

Lily had seen him a few moments ago, and had already wiped his sneering grin, framed by limp, greasy black hair, out of her memory. She still refused to talk to him, and now he had given up stalking her, cornering her like she was his prey.

Really, he was also part of the reason she walked so quickly, head down, fingers gripping tightly on the spines of her book, towards the Library. She may have been able to erase his face from her mind, but his cold, beetle black eyes remained, burning in her memory.

Lily's determined walk faltered, however, as warm fingers wrapped around Lily's arm, spinning her into a broom closet and bringing her face to face with none other than the chestnut eyes of James Potter. Her books cluttered to the floor, but, restrained by Potter's hand on her wrist, she couldn't bend down to pick them up.

Lily groaned. He always seemed to appear when she wanted him there least.

She struggled against him, her fingers stretching towards her wand, but he beat her to it, stealing it from her pocket and using it to lock the broom closet door.

"Potter, what the hell?" Lily yelled indignantly, slapping her palms against the wood of the door.

"Shut up Evans" Potter leaned against the wall, twirling her wand between his fingers. Lily grabbed for her wand, but Potter casually placed it on a shelf above her reach.

"What are you doing, you _bloody idiot_?" Lily's last two words were punctuated by sharp, yet light, punches to the bloody idiot's chest.

Potter just grinned. It spread across his face like a cocky crescent moon.

"Tut, tut. Language, Evans. You're supposed to be a prefect."

She glared at him with as much poison as she could muster but it didn't wipe the stupid smirk off of his stupid face. She tried a different tactic.

"You know, Potter, as a prefect, I can take house points off you for _kidnapping_ me."

But Potter just shook his head, somehow messing up his hair even more. And his stupid grin still would not unstick itself.

"For shame Evans! You wouldn't take points off of your own house, would you?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't underestimate my honour, Potter."

"I have the highest regard for your honour, Evans"

He brushed a hair from out of her eyes.

She slapped his hand away.

"Potter, just what are you doing?"

He cleared his throat, the arrogant grin still playing about his mouth.

"Lily Evans! I have come to you with a proposition." His voice was confident, triumphant.

Staring into his ridiculously irritating face in the dim light of the janitor's closet, she gave in, sighing.

"You have exactly two seconds before I stop listening."

His reply was shot back at her like a bullet.

"A truce!"

"What kind of truce?"

Potter shrugged.

"One where we don't hate each other?"

Lily scoffed.

"Please, Potter, you make me hate you. I just can't help it." Her voice was like acid as the words poured out of her throat.

It was his turn to sigh.

"Fine. Well, what about one where we don't actively try to kill each other?"

Lily's patience was wearing thin.

"And why should I agree to this, Potter?"

"For the pleasure of my company?"

Lily snorted.

"And maybe, I'll try to leave your precious Snivellus alone."

Again, Lily snorted.

"Like I care what happens to him. I don't… associate with him any more."

Potter shrugged again.

"Fine then, pick someone else."

"Wait, so you're telling me that I have to endure the annoying company of a bully _and_ I can't hex you, so that just one innocent child can go free? No thanks!"

Lily turned to reach for her wand.

"Come on Evans, think of the children!" Potter whined, grabbing her wrist again. She didn't pull it loose; a thought had struck her, and her eyes stared into the dusty corner of the shelf without seeing.

"All of the students under fourth year." Lily's eyes turned to meet his, her confident voice ever so slightly echoing in the small room.

"What?" Potter was confused, distracted by Lily's milky white wrist in his grasp. She pulled it free from between his fingers.

"Thinking of the children, remember? That's my price. You can't bully anyone below fourth year. At all. You shouldn't anyway, they're just kids. But if this will guarantee it, so be it."

"Perfect." James spoke quickly, shaking the distraction from his mind.

Lily rolled her eyes. At least she had more bargaining power now.

"So, what counts as a truce? We what, say hello in the hallways? Play gobstones together on Saturday mornings?" Lily said, letting a little of her irritation into her voice.

"How about we start with you getting to spend time with us cool kids?" Potter replied, grinning again.

This received a roll of the eyes from Lily.

"How about no?"

James raised his hands in surrender.

"What would you call a fair truce then? Remember I'm giving up a good 25 percent of my prospective victims." He pleaded, exasperated.

"Let's start with you, not harassing me." Lily shot back.

Potter fake gasped, adopting a hurt expression that earned another roll of the eyes from Lily.

"I'm affronted! When have I ever harassed you Evans?"

Lily punched his shoulder. His skin was warm.

"Do you not recall the _millions_ of times you asked me out, or the way you tease me?" Lily spoke with a shrill tone. Potter was sure she'd nearly cracked his glasses.

"What, so I don't get to ask you out or make fun of you? How am I supposed to manage that?" Potter's voice got higher with each word, ending up squeaking like a rat.

"I'm sure you'll manage, Potter." Lily spat, a smile curving its way secretly along her lips.

James coughed.

"My turn. I want to be able to talk to you without you yelling at me."

Lily rolled her eyes._ Think of the children, Lily. The children!_

"Fine" she sighed.

"Deal?" James asked, proffering his hand. Lily took it, crushing his hand with an enthusiastic shake. He responded in kind, with the strength of a beast.

"Done." She giggled, letting go of his warm hand.

"Nice doing business with you, Lily flower." Potter grinned.

"Don't call me Lily flower, you ponce!" Lily growled harshly, turning away from him.

"What, we're not there yet? But we just shook on a truce- Ow!" James let out another whimper as Lily punched his arm again, harder this time. She climbed up on a stool, her fingers stretching for her wand. Potter watched on, the grin still plastered all over his big head, trying to choke back chuckles. Lily, wand back in hand, jumped off of her stool and magically unlocked the cupboard door. She stalked out, levitating her books, her hips barely swinging, her eyes giving him the icy tip of her coldest glare as she turned her head a fraction and said "Goodbye, Potter."

James maintained his wide grin as he waved her off.

"See ya, Lillikins!" He shouted after her.

She gave him another glare of pure poison before stalking away, aware of his eyes following her and not caring.


	4. Chapter 4: Let's pretend we get along

School was over, and the days of the summer holidays passed by Lily like fallen leaves that fly past the window in the flowing breeze. Each one seemed so lengthy and important, until it left.

Every morning was a cup of tea with breakfast and homework and then something with her family in the evening until the weekend arrived, which she could spend as she pleased, usually with Marlene, and then the week would start again, and although it was monotonous routine, Lily didn't mind. She was a creature of habit. She had always found something beautiful in the repetition of days, weeks and months. At repetitious times like these, her life was on autopilot. Her actions were merely muscle memories of what she was supposed to do, like the way one makes tea and their hands move like a puppet's because hey, they're British and they've done it a thousand times before.

However, what Lily loves and despises is that each day isn't exactly the same. When Lily makes tea in the morning, it's always a slightly different shade of brown and never quite right, and James Potter pops up on the most unexpected of days. When she's been lulled into a false sense of security and relaxes into automatic weekend mode, when she tricks herself into settling into routine life so that she barely has to pay attention to anything. That's when he barges into her, spilling her drink at a get together, or knocking books out of her hands at Diagon Alley, and wrecks her perfectly balanced system and she has to think, dammit! And because of that stupid deal with the devil she had made, she could no longer yell at him, and she must endure it, and it was like pulling her hair out one strand at a time. She just couldn't deal with him.

Potter, arrogantly forcing his way into becoming a regular, if unwelcome, part of her life.

Potter, his black hair like an ink stain on Lily's calendar, always popping up, like an unexpected gift from Mother Nature, at the worst times.

See, one thing Lily noticed was that James Potter couldn't stand monotony. He put a different amount of sugar in his tea each morning and erratically orchestrated crazy ideas and lived with the goal of creating a slightly different James shaped ink stain on each day.

Lily would find it admirable if he didn't use her as his way to create interest. Every time he saw her, he had a different nickname for her and she had a different scathing reply for him before he asked her out again, each time in a different way, of course.

It grew more aggravating each time.

But Lily just sighed and allowed herself to be whisked away by the gentle current of summer, full of long, warm days of lounging about and sharing time with friends, with little to no responsibilities.

Lily enjoyed the taste of freedom that the holidays carried, but it was bitter on her tongue. She wasn't truly free but tossed back into the cage of her house and her family, with their plans and their crippling _normality_. Lily loved them so dearly but she hated that they seemed so shocked and repulsed when she let her guard down; when she showed a hint of her magical capabilities.

Her father tried to hide his surprised expression, his eyebrows shooting up and his low voice babbling on about something or other to mask the fear that his daughter was changing into something he couldn't ever understand. Her mother was eager to talk about her magic, trying to learn more, to be more, so that maybe one day she could understand.

Her sister took it as a disgusting personal offence that was like a pin stuck into Lily's heart. Lily was used to it now, and could stand the pain of a little prick, but the pins build up, and when a million pins are stuck in you all at once, it's hard not to feel the sting. She simply bore her pain as she could.

But at last, or too soon, the 1st of September had arrived and Lily's heart was like a pulsing stone covered in a layer of lead. She was so ready to just get out of the house, but who _wants _to go to school?

The handle of Lily's trunk was hurting her fingers, heart beating fast and lungs burning from the run to and from the car as she hurried along the platform, Marlene at her side, glaring but trying not to laugh at the same time.

"I can't believe you left your owl in the car!" She chortled.

"She's a quiet owl! I didn't notice!" Lily defended.

"She's your _owl_!" Marlene cried, letting laughter spill through.

"Shut up! We're late!" Lily laughed in reply.

They hurried onto the train moments before it left the platform. Leaving their trunks in a storage car, they wandered up and down the train, searching for an empty compartment. Their usual one was taken by some giggling first years, which, red faced, asked Lily if she was James Potter's boyfriend. Lily had slammed the door shut faster than Marlene could say, "she wishes". But as they walked up and down and up and down again, it was clear that there weren't any free ones, nor even any partly full ones.

Marlene looked pointedly at Lily.

"You know there's one that's... Less than full." She said, nodding towards a compartment near the back of the train. It was a sunny, spotlessly clean compartment with an uninterrupted view of the countryside, generally known by the students of Hogwarts to be avoided, as it was the exclusive compartment of the Marauders, since their very first train ride.

"You know we can't go in there Marlene!" Lily said, exasperated.

"Please! As if Potter would turn you away! Besides, you are on speaking terms aren't you?" Marlene turned, looking pleadingly at Lily, who snorted.

"We're on not trying to kill each other terms, and I was bribed and kidnapped!"

"Same thing." Marlene laughed.

"Please Marlene, you know how much he irritates me!" Lily stared pleadingly at her friend.

"Well, Lily, it's either that one, or it's back to our old one and the eleven year old slumber party." She smirked.

"And you know how much I love talking about gorgeous boys like Potter and Black." Marlene continued, turning resignedly toward their normal compartment. Lily contemplated the idea for a moment, but a sarcastic glare from Marlene made her give in.

"Fine! But if they say no, we're trying to fit into Joan and Mary's compartment!" Lily snapped.

Marlene laughed.

"Joan and Mary could barely fit into Joan and Mary's compartment." She chuckled, before walking over to the marauders compartment and confidently sliding the doors open on four shocked faces. A square of golden sunlight danced across the floor, bathing the marauders' toes in light as they stretched their legs out in front of them in the epitome of relaxation. Black and Pettigrew sat on one red, cushioned seat, Lupin and Potter on the other.

"Hi boys!" The blonde said brightly, walking in and sitting next to Sirius. Lily remained in the doorway, her arms crossed, her shoulder brushing against the polished deep brown wood of the doorframe.

Black put his arm around Marlene's shoulders with a grin, his fingertips brushing gently against her arm.

"McKinnon! Evans! To what do we owe the pleasure?" He spoke with a genial grin on his face, the mask of a perfect gentleman.

"Well since we have nowhere to ride on the way to school and you're my favourite Black, we figured we could share with you for today." She spoke with a cocked eyebrow, her face a mask of confidence and her eyes glittering dangerously towards the dark haired gentleman.

"Now, McKinnon, you know this spot's exclusively boys only." He grinned with one corner of his mouth, in an almost mocking sneer, but his eyes danced with mischief.

"Did I mention the favourite Black part?" Marlene cooed, fluttering her eyelashes at him with an innocent smile.

"Well, having met your family, that's really not much of a compliment." Pertigrew butted in. She glanced to Lily in the doorway for help, but she wasn't offering any support. She turned back to Pettigrew.

"You wouldn't deny two ladies refuge now, would you?" Marlene turned her pleading gaze on the short wizard. His glassy blue eyes lowered to the floor, muttering something about evil witches.

"I suppose it's our duty." Interjected Potter with his signature snarky grin, who had barely taken his eyes off Lily leaning on the doorframe, her soft, pale arms folded delicately and her hair falling down her shoulder in shiny red waves.

"It's our pleasure." Said Remus warmly, gesturing for Lily to sit beside him. Smiling, she obliged, but was unfortunately wedged between him and Potter, who was staring at the lock of hair that had fallen on his coat amongst her squeezing. Lily waved a hand in front of his face.

"Potter, it's just hair. Get over it." She whispered with a roll of her eyes that James was becoming too familiar with.

Black grinned from across the cabin.

"I like her!" He proclaimed.

An awkward silence descended on the compartment, the only noise the thunder of wheels against tracks as the train sped over a bridge.

"So, what were you lovely gentlemen just talking about?" Marlene asked, breaking the silence.

Sirius opened his mouth, unspoken words lying delicately on his tongue, ready to escape.

"Nothing fitting for a lady's ears." Lupin quickly interrupted, cutting him off with a sharp look.

Lily just snorted.

"Marlene's far from a lady. She's terribly... ill mannered."

"Really Marlene?" Black drawled, raising an oddly neatly trimmed eyebrow.

"I suppose you could say so, playing Quidditch and all." She replied, Black's arm on her shoulder lightly bouncing with her casual shrug.

"What makes one a lady?" Piped up Pettigrew, causing five pairs of eyes to turn and stare at him in astonishment, eyebrows raised.

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but Marlene cut her off.

"Being born with the right parts." She said sharply. Black snorted.

"No, that's what makes one a woman." He said, looking at them as if it were obvious. It was his turn for an incredulous stare.

"What? Being a lady obviously requires skills such as proficiency in sewing, drawing, playing a musical instrument, a second language, preferably French, a large vocabulary and an elegance in dress and decorum." He stated. The others continued to stare incredulously at him.

"What about a gentleman?" Asked Pettigrew.

Black shrugged. "Much of the same."

Marlene burst out laughing.

"And these ladies actually exist?" She chortled.

"Only in polite society, Marlene, so nobody you know." Lily joked, giving Marlene a fake sympathetic smile.

"Proper question, Black, isn't that definition a bit... Dated?" The red-haired witch asked, glancing at the gentleman with a small smile.

"Not for the great and noble family of Black, apparently." He sighed, a bitter note to his voice.

"I _love_ holidays!" Potter piped up from next to her, grasping for attention before an awkward silence could cling to the group.

"Me too, I can't wait for the next annual Potter marathon!" Said Lupin brightly.

"What's the Potter marathon?" Marlene butted in.

"Every year, my family holds a marathon and for each... Kilometre we run, money is donated to a charity." Potter announced, grinning.

Lupin cleared his throat. Potter sighed.

"Okay, so it's actually a movie marathon. We watch muggle films, and for each one we watch, sponsors pay us money. It's not a huge thing, this year only about forty people participated, muggles and magical folk put together." Potter admitted, a little sheepishly.

Lily turned to him in surprise.

"You watch muggle films, for charity?" She said, shocked.

Potter grinned sheepishly again.

"Yes, they're really quite entertaining." He said, his eyes lighting up again.

"You should come next year!" He said, bright hazel eyes staring hopefully into green. Lily dropped his gaze and shook her head.

"Thanks but I doubt it. As _fun_ as it would be to watch films with you four idiots, my family wouldn't let me. They barely let me see Marlene in the summer hols." She said, her downcast eyes betraying her optimistic tone.

Potter nodded. He understood family commitments, having a healer for a mother who could be called to work at any moment. He turned back to Sirius with a grin.

Remus turned to Lily, brushing her shoulder for attention when she stared for a few moments past normal out the window.

"How's the sister been?" he asked her quietly, as conversation continued around them.

"Getting better, I suppose." Lily sighed, her green eyes clouding over.

"I tried to patch things up, and she was a lot nicer to me. It's just- it seemed superficial, a little like she'd treat a sister who'd been to prison, not school, for nine months." She continued, murmuring softly to stop Potter from overhearing her private problems. She trusted Remus with her family affairs after their long chats during their rounds last year. He was an excellent listener.

"Maybe you should make one last try at patching things up with her?" He suggested hesitantly.

Lily shook her head in defeat. "I'll keep trying, but there's only so much rejection a girl can take."

Remus took a breath to offer another comforting word when a loud voice drew their attention back to the conversation around them.

"WHAT?" James thundered, his hazel eyes wide, his glasses nearly falling off his nose, and his eyebrows shooting towards the heavens.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I was talking to this lovely lady over here, Prongs. So McKinnon, what do you say? You, me, Hogsmeade, next Saturday?" Sirius asked, grinning hopefully at Marlene's slightly shell-shocked face. She thought for a moment, folding her arms and biting her lip.

"Alright, Black." Came her nonchalant reply. Now Lily and Potter both stared at them with wide eyes. Remus and Pettigrew just shared a confused look.

"Marlene, did you just _agree_ to that?" Lily asked her friend with a deep sigh. Marlene shrugged.

"Yes, I suppose I did." She challenged, glaring at the other inhabitants of the cabin, daring them to question her.

"Yes, you did!" Sirius gloated, tightening his arm around the blonde witch. She gave him a coy smile.

"Meet you at nine in the entrance hall then?" She inquired.

"Definitely." He answered.

"So, how were your holidays, Wormy?" Sirius asked, with another genial grin. After a general confused look between the rest of the group, conversation resumed as normal, floating around the sunny carriage, filling it up with the rise and fall of voices, words that created ideas and made them soar, words that held Lily prisoner and forced her to re-examine the rebellious troublemakers she'd known and disliked for years.

When the train arrived at the glorious stone castle, night had swept over the deep blue sky, stars twinkling brightly through the clouds, their reflection dancing across the lake.

Lily grabbed her trunk and Marlene's hand and nearly ran towards a horseless carriage, urging it to move, which it did, despite the few passengers.

"Were you ever going to tell me about your crush on Sirius, Marlene?" Lily interrogated, her bright green eyes glaring eerily at Marlene, whose wrist was still clasped tightly between Lily's fingers. Marlene shook it loose.

"Calm down, Lil. I _was_ going to tell you, tonight actually. We've been owling during the holidays, and yes, I do like him and I'd like to get to know him better." She explained earnestly, her eyes pleading, her hand clutching Lily's. Lily sighed.

"I just wish it wasn't such a shock. I should've picked up that you were interested. I should've seen it." She stuttered, eyes downcast.

"Lily, don't be stupid. If you had, it'd be guesswork. I'm not someone who wants to be read and analysed." Marlene insisted with a grin.

"I suppose I'm someone who likes to read and analyse." Lily replied, a smile growing on her face.

"You can analyse me whenever you like, Marlene."

Marlene laughed, and tied her long hair into a ponytail, her mouth full of merriment but her eyes full of mischief.

"Oh I will, Lily. I will."


End file.
